GUIDE QUIDE VENTILATING A NEW HOME

Most modern homes are tightly sealed to help conserve energy; which means there’s very little air coming in and out. So, to maintain a healthy environment, you need to think through your ventilation options. The most common approach in self build projects is to install a mechanical ventilation system, usually with heat recovery built in (MVHR).

As well as removing the stale air from the wet zones in your home (bathrooms, kitchens etc) and drawing in a fresh supply, MVHR extracts and recycles heat from the outgoing flow. This energy is then transferred into the incoming stream, when desired, to provide pre-warmed, fresh filtered air. This helps to regulate internal condensation and pollutants.

MVHR units are usually positioned in a loft or plant room, with runs of ducting branching out throughout the house (concealed in the walls and floor structures). The system should be planned in the very early stages and the MVHR installers brought on site as one of the first contractors to ensure they can achieve clear runs with minimal bends in the rigid ducting (as too many turns will impair performance). It will also need to be properly set up and commissioned, with the documentation passed on to building control as part of obtaining your completion certificate.

As a rough guide, a typical cost to install an MVHR system in a wellinsulated, four bedroom new build home is around £3,000-£5,000.